Tag: Film

The villagers of Lake Pátzcuaro lovingly clean and adorn graves with beautiful handmade ofrendas, blankets of marigolds, and special foods, preparing for the shared remembrance of Día de los Muertos. They shoot rockets into the heavens to awaken the departed souls and call them home. More tone poem than traditional documentary, Calling Home the Dead is a visually stunning exploration of indigenous practices seldom seen outside Mexico, celebrating the continuity of life and the enduring love of family and friends. Presented as part of the Bank of America Free Thursday Film Series.

“On the Day of the Dead, when the spirits come back to us, the road from heaven must be
made easy, they say, and not slippery with tears.”

Juan, a fortyish slacker, ekes out a living in Havana through occasional fishing expeditions with his friend Lázaro. When a rising zombie apocalypse threatens the city, he first ignores the problem, and then decides to launch a zombie extermination service. The Cuban government and media claim that the living dead are dissidents revolting against the government on the anniversary of the Cuban Revolution, and, as events spiral further out of control, Juan and his gang are forced to find a way to survive. Presented as part of the Bank of America Free Thursday Film Series.
2011; directed by Alejandro Brugués; Spanish with English subtitles; 100 minutes; not rated.Free ticketed event; tickets available one hour before show

Beatriz, a massage therapist and holistic healer, and also an immigrant, is marooned at the home of a wealthy client after her car breaks down. Invited to stay for dinner as a “family friend,” she finds herself at a celebration of the legislative approval of a major building development, and in the company of the billionaire developer. The philosophical conflict that arises when their worlds collide plays out more soulfully, and sadly, than satirically in this independent drama. Presented as part of the Bank of America Free Thursday Film Series.
2017; directed by Miguel Arteta; English; 82 minutes; rated R.Free ticketed event; tickets available one hour before show

Through the prism of Frida Kahlo’s life and art, this documentary explores the ancient culture of Mexico; the Mexican Revolution; the wildfire of communism that burned through Latin America in the 1920s and ‘30s; the painters, photographers, filmmakers, writers, and poets who congregated in Mexico City; and the revival of interest in popular culture for which Kahlo has become a symbol. Her life as an international sensation in the worlds of modern art and radical politics is framed for the first time within the full spectrum of the historical and cultural influences that shaped her. Narrated by Rita Moreno. Presented as part of the Bank of America Free Thursday Film Series.
2005; directed by Amy Stechler; English; 90 minutes; not rated.

This screening also celebrates the unveiling of a new Frida Kahlo piñata by the Center’s Art Museum. The Piñata Exhibit (Sure To Be a Smash Hit!), on display in the museum through the spring of 2018, celebrates the popular art form with works from Mexico, California, Arizona, Nevada, and Texas, as well as New Mexico, and is continuing to add new works throughout its run. The newest addition, the Frida piñata, pays homage to the beloved artist in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.Free ticketed event; tickets available one hour before show

This biopic/drama depicts the professional and personal life of surrealist Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, who lived a bold and uncompromising life as an artistic, political, and sexual revolutionary. The film chronicles her turbulent marriage to Diego Rivera and her political activism, as well as the lifelong, debilitating effects of the traumatic bus accident she suffered at age eighteen. The Oscar-winning soundtrack features performances by Chavela Vargas and Lila Downs. Presented as part of the Bank of America Free Thursday Film Series.
2002; directed by Julie Taymor; English; 123 minutes; rated R.

This screening also celebrates the unveiling of a new Frida Kahlo piñata by the Center’s Art Museum. The Piñata Exhibit (Sure To Be a Smash Hit!), on display in the museum through the spring of 2018, celebrates the popular art form with works from Mexico, California, Arizona, Nevada, and Texas, as well as New Mexico, and is continuing to add new works throughout its run. The newest addition, the Frida piñata, pays homage to the beloved artist in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.Free ticketed event; tickets available one hour before show

The dynamics of the overcrowded household of a family of beekeepers, living in stark isolation in central Italy, are disrupted by the simultaneous arrival of a silently troubled teenaged boy, taken in as a farmhand, and a production crew recruiting local farmers to participate in a cheesy televised celebration of ancient Etruscan culture. 2015; directed by Alice Rohrwacher; Italian with English subtitles; 100 minutes; not rated.

From late August through September, the Bank of America Thursday Film Series showcases the International Cinema Series, presented in partnership with Avokado Artists and ¡Globalquerque!, New Mexico’s Thirteenth Celebration of World Music and Culture, returning to the NHCC on September 22 & 23.Free ticketed event; tickets available one hour before show

Samba, who has migrated to France from Senegal following the death of his father, lives under constant threat of deportation and is willing to do whatever it takes to get working papers. He is on the verge of giving up when a group from the local immigration advocacy center takes up his cause, changing all of their lives in the process. 2014; directed by Olivier Nakache & Eric Toledano; French with English subtitles; 118 minutes; rated R.

From late August through September, the Bank of America Thursday Film Series showcases the International Cinema Series, presented in partnership with Avokado Artists and ¡Globalquerque!, New Mexico’s Thirteenth Celebration of World Music and Culture, returning to the NHCC on September 22 & 23. The schedule includes the films that will be shown during the free Global Fiesta on September 23, including Samba.Free ticketed event; tickets available one hour before show

The Wisdom Archive, the brainchild of Santa-Fe based, Emmy award-winning documentarian Scott Andrews, is a video “seed bank” of traditional culture—a collection of filmed portraits of cultural masters from around the world doing what they do best. Filmmaker Andrews will be at the screening.

Monsieur Gonzales: The Last “Plieur de Codre”
In the spring of 1999, in the Dordogne region of France, Monsieur Gonzales, an elderly local farmer, demonstrates his skill, all but extinct today, in splitting and shaving willow saplings with ancient tools into the flexible wooden bands traditionally used to hoop cognac barrels. 8 minutes.

Edgar González: Mezcalero!
In the highland rainforest of the state of Oaxaca, outside the Zapotec village of San Cristobal Lachirioag, Edgar González is recovering an ancient tradition of handcrafting the sacred spirit of his forefathers—mezcal—while combatting the culture-destroying loss of young people from his community. 16 minutes.

Cipriano Vigil: Músico de la Gente
The life story of the “New Mexico State Treasure” and acknowledged master of northern New Mexico music, El Rito’s Cipriano Vigil. From a lifetime of collecting music of the “viejitos” and performing with family and friends at the Smithsonian and throughout the Southwest, Cipriano has created a legacy of traditional works and serves as an authentic voice for his people. 38 minutes.

From late August through September, the Bank of America Thursday Film Series showcases the International Cinema Series, presented in partnership with Avokado Artists and ¡Globalquerque!, New Mexico’s Thirteenth Celebration of World Music and Culture, returning to the NHCC on September 22 & 23. The schedule includes the films that will be shown during the free Global Fiesta on September 23, including these films from The Wisdom Archive.Free ticketed event; tickets available one hour before show

¡Globalquerque!, New Mexico’s 13th Annual World Music & Culture Celebration, returns to the National Hispanic Cultural Center on September 22 and 23, 2017. This year’s festival features three stages of music from five continents over two nights. Relax in the intimate courtyard setting of the Fountain Stage, enjoy larger bands in the state-of-the-art 691-seat Journal Theatre, or dance to groove-heavy world music on the Plaza Mayor’s outdoor Festival Stage.

Lateef, a 17-year-old Turkish worker on a construction site in Tehran, is assigned heavier tasks to compensate for the lesser strength of a new Afghan refugee worker, Rahmat. Resenting this, he initially treats his co-worker cruelly, but the revelation of Rahmat’s secret changes both their lives. 2001; directed by Majid Majidi; Persian/Azerbaijani with English subtitles; 94 minutes; rated PG.

From late August through September, the Bank of America Thursday Film Series showcases the International Cinema Series, presented in partnership with Avokado Artists and ¡Globalquerque!, New Mexico’s Thirteenth Celebration of World Music and Culture, returning to the NHCC on September 22 & 23.Free ticketed event; tickets available one hour before show